More Images

Flight in Antique Airliner Offers Taste of Aviation's Old Days

Karen Glass holds up a 1943 photo of her father, Al Oldenburg, standing in front of a Ford Tri-Motor airplane. She got the opportunity to take her own ride on the Ford Tri-Motor airplane Thursday at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport.

CALVIN KNIGHT | THE LEDGER

By STEPHANIE ALLENTHE LEDGER

Published: Thursday, April 10, 2014 at 10:25 p.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, April 10, 2014 at 10:25 p.m.

LAKELAND | It's like flying back in time to a world Karen Glass never knew.

Facts

IF YOU GO

WHERE: Lakeland Linder Regional Airport, 3900 Don Emerson Drive.

WHEN: Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

COST: $75 per person, registration in main terminal.

ONLINE: flytheford.org

The 69-year-old, who grew up in Auburndale, clutched a black-and-white photo of her late father as she climbed inside "The Tin Goose" on Thursday at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport.

Dated 1943, the photo shows a dashing pilot in his mid-20s standing in front of a Ford Tri-Motor, similar to the one Glass is about to ride.

"He'd be 93 right now," she said. "It seems funny. I hesitated a little in the cockpit knowing my dad flew one of these to the places he went. He was quite an adventurer."

Glass, who now lives in Hampton, Va., said she learned the Lakeland chapter of the Experimental Aircraft Association was offering rides in the 1929 aircraft this weekend, and she couldn't pass up a chance to relive part of her family's history.

"I was closing my eyes and I was hearing the same thing my dad heard years ago," she said after her flight. "It's like sharing a piece of his life."

Dave Ross, one of the EAA's Tri-Motor pilots, said the Tri-Motor airplane ­revolutionized passenger air travel.

Ford Motor Company built 199 of the airplanes between 1926 and 1933 in Dearborn, Mich., as a way to capitalize on the commercial airline industry.

He said the Tri-Motor was innovative for its time, offering passengers a comfortable ride with single seats and individual windows. And offering a way for people to travel the country — and internationally — like never before.

"It kind of made airlines viable," he said. "It really gave reliability to airlines, until Douglas came out with the DC-3."

Ross said some of the Tri-Motors were built to hold 10 or 11 passengers, but the EAA's has nine seats, with spots for a pilot and co-pilot in the cockpit, which is visible to passengers.

Made of corrugated aluminum, the plane cruises at about 90 mph, with three large, visible engines. Ross said it holds about 231 gallons of fuel and burns about a gallon per minute.

He said the EAA's Tri-Motor is one of only about four that are currently in flying condition. The EAA purchased the plane in 1973 and restored it to as close as they could to how it was when it first flew with Eastern Air Transport on Aug. 21, 1929.

After that first flight, the plane was used for a variety of jobs. In 1930, the plane went to fly for Cubana Airlines based in Cuba, and later became "Air Force One" in the Dominican Republic, according to the EAA's website dedicated to the plane.

It then came back to the U.S. in 1949 to be used for crop dusting and smoke jumping in Montana.

During its time fighting fires, the Tri-Motor even starred in a few movies, including the Jerry Lewis film "The Family Jewels," the website states.

In 1973, the plane was severely damaged in a windstorm and eventually purchased by the EAA to be restored.

Since then, the plane has been touring the country offering rides to aviation enthusiasts.

"It's a good reliable old truck, but a truck without power steering," Ross said. "It wants to fly. Not very fast, but it wants to fly."

Riding in the Tri-Motor feels almost like riding in a tin can — a tin can that's played a major part in commercial aviation's history.

During the flight, the engines roar, sending vibrations throughout the plane and up into the seats.

The interior has been modified with current safety features, including lap seat belts and Plexiglas windows, but the painted wood paneling and green interior paint closely resemble how the plane looked when it first took off nearly 85 years ago.

The local EAA chapter is sponsoring the plane while it's at Lakeland Linder, offering rides today, Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The aerial tour of Lakeland lasts about 20 minutes and costs $75 per person.

"It's an opportunity for people to come out, touch it, ride in it," chapter President Sal Capra said. "It's an airplane that won't be around forever."

[ Stephanie Allen can be reached at stephanie.allen@theledger.com or 863-802-7550. ]

<p>LAKELAND | It's like flying back in time to a world Karen Glass never knew. </p><p>The 69-year-old, who grew up in Auburndale, clutched a black-and-white photo of her late father as she climbed inside "The Tin Goose" on Thursday at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport. </p><p>Dated 1943, the photo shows a dashing pilot in his mid-20s standing in front of a Ford Tri-Motor, similar to the one Glass is about to ride. </p><p>"He'd be 93 right now," she said. "It seems funny. I hesitated a little in the cockpit knowing my dad flew one of these to the places he went. He was quite an adventurer."</p><p>Glass, who now lives in Hampton, Va., said she learned the Lakeland chapter of the Experimental Aircraft Association was offering rides in the 1929 aircraft this weekend, and she couldn't pass up a chance to relive part of her family's history. </p><p>"I was closing my eyes and I was hearing the same thing my dad heard years ago," she said after her flight. "It's like sharing a piece of his life."</p><p>Dave Ross, one of the EAA's Tri-Motor pilots, said the Tri-Motor airplane ­revolutionized passenger air travel. </p><p>Ford Motor Company built 199 of the airplanes between 1926 and 1933 in Dearborn, Mich., as a way to capitalize on the commercial airline industry. </p><p>He said the Tri-Motor was innovative for its time, offering passengers a comfortable ride with single seats and individual windows. And offering a way for people to travel the country — and internationally — like never before.</p><p>"It kind of made airlines viable," he said. "It really gave reliability to airlines, until Douglas came out with the DC-3."</p><p>Ross said some of the Tri-Motors were built to hold 10 or 11 passengers, but the EAA's has nine seats, with spots for a pilot and co-pilot in the cockpit, which is visible to passengers. </p><p>Made of corrugated aluminum, the plane cruises at about 90 mph, with three large, visible engines. Ross said it holds about 231 gallons of fuel and burns about a gallon per minute.</p><p>He said the EAA's Tri-Motor is one of only about four that are currently in flying condition. The EAA purchased the plane in 1973 and restored it to as close as they could to how it was when it first flew with Eastern Air Transport on Aug. 21, 1929. </p><p>After that first flight, the plane was used for a variety of jobs. In 1930, the plane went to fly for Cubana Airlines based in Cuba, and later became "Air Force One" in the Dominican Republic, according to the EAA's website dedicated to the plane. </p><p>It then came back to the U.S. in 1949 to be used for crop dusting and smoke jumping in Montana. </p><p>During its time fighting fires, the Tri-Motor even starred in a few movies, including the Jerry Lewis film "The Family Jewels," the website states.</p><p>In 1973, the plane was severely damaged in a windstorm and eventually purchased by the EAA to be restored. </p><p>Since then, the plane has been touring the country offering rides to aviation enthusiasts. </p><p>"It's a good reliable old truck, but a truck without power steering," Ross said. "It wants to fly. Not very fast, but it wants to fly."</p><p>Riding in the Tri-Motor feels almost like riding in a tin can — a tin can that's played a major part in commercial aviation's history. </p><p>During the flight, the engines roar, sending vibrations throughout the plane and up into the seats. </p><p>The interior has been modified with current safety features, including lap seat belts and Plexiglas windows, but the painted wood paneling and green interior paint closely resemble how the plane looked when it first took off nearly 85 years ago. </p><p>The local EAA chapter is sponsoring the plane while it's at Lakeland Linder, offering rides today, Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The aerial tour of Lakeland lasts about 20 minutes and costs $75 per person. </p><p>"It's an opportunity for people to come out, touch it, ride in it," chapter President Sal Capra said. "It's an airplane that won't be around forever."</p><p>[ Stephanie Allen can be reached at stephanie.allen@theledger.com or 863-802-7550. ]</p>